Ralph Nader calls for congressman's resignation.

By Jack Sullivan, Associated Press Writer | Saturday, August 30, 2003

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WASHINGTON - Rep. Bill Janklow's expected absence from Congress next week as he recovers from a car crash will deprive South Dakota of a vote in the House of Representatives, although he is not likely to miss a busy period.

"It would surprise me if a critical vote were scheduled early in September because a lot of agendas are just getting crystalized at this point," University of South Dakota political-science professor Elizabeth T. Smith said Thursday. "Everybody's been away for the summer recess. Things usually start up a little slowly in September."

Janklow broke a bone in his hand and suffered a head injury in the Aug. 16 crash, which killed motorcyclist Randy E. Scott of Hardwick, Minn.

His doctor and son have said his recovery will likely stretch into September.

The House reconvenes on Wednesday, and one of the three committees on which Janklow serves has a hearing next week. Many schedules are not detailed because Congress has been on a monthlong break.

Investigators say Janklow ran a stop sign and was driving 15 to 20 mph over the speed limit at the time, and Janklow's son has said the former governor expects to be charged with a crime.

Prosecutors are considering careless- or reckless-driving or a more serious charge of second-degree manslaughter.

On Thursday, Green Party presidential candidate Ralph Nader and other auto-safety advocates called on Janklow to resign his seat in Congress, saying his speeding history made it "only a matter of time" before he was involved in a fatal crash.

"You are clearly a person unworthy of public office which involves responsibilities for overseeing the nation's motor vehicle and highway safety laws," the advocates wrote.

Although the call may "cause citizens to stop and think for a moment," Janklow won't likely to do what they ask, Smith said.

"I don't see Rep. Janklow as a quitter," she said. "My sense of the man is that he will continue on as long as he possibly can."

Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia's Center for Politics, said he would be surprised if Janklow resigned. "That's just not Janklow," he said.

Sabato said Janklow may choose to serve out his current term and then retire, although he said he "wouldn't be totally shocked if he turned around on that."

Criminal charges would divide Janklow's attention from his job in Washington, and a felony conviction would trigger an automatic review by the House ethics committee, Smith said.

"Life becomes more difficult if the charges are felony charges," Smith said. "But nonetheless, I don't see him as someone who quits because of a felony charge; I see him as somebody who most likely will fight for his job.

"There's a good side to that and a bad side to that. The bad side to that is his attention would be divided between fighting his court case and representing the people of South Dakota. The good side is that he's a tenacious public servant and I think is quite likely to continue in that capacity for as long as he possibly can."

Janklow's absence won't be unprecedented. Rep. Barbara Cubin, R-Wyo., missed about three weeks of work when she fell ill at the beginning of the year. Like Janklow, Cubin is her state's sole representative.